Book-holder.



W. H. SMITH.

. BOOK IIOLDI'SB".v

APPLICATION FILED MAR. e, 1911.

'w I Patented 1111.111914.

WILLIAM'H. SMITH, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BOOK-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an; 6,1914.

Application filed March 6, 1911. Serial No. 612,667.

To all whom it may concern y Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residingk in the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of"=Califo1nia, have. invented new and useful Improvements in' Book- Holders, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to a device for holding a book while a person is readingthe same; and the object thereof is .to provide a sim le and efficient device which will hold a boo r in an open position so that a person lying upon a couch either upon' his back or on either side may be able to read the book without any undue strain4 upon the eyesight. I accomplish this object by the device described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bed with my improved reading device attached to one of the rails thereof. Fig. 2 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 provided with a standard for holding the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the book holding portion'of the device and adjacent parts.

In the drawings 5 is a bed upon which the reader' lies when. perusing a book. 0n one side of the bed is secured clamp k6, which is preferably removably attached to the bed. This clamp is provided with set screw 7 for adjustably securing standard 8, at any de# sired height in theI clamp. This standard is preferably round so as to rotate in the clamp, when desired. The upper portion of the standard is bent into U-shape and the short arm of the U terminates in a ball 9. A pane of glass or panel 11 is provided with a frame 12. This frame is provided with trunnions 13, the outer ends of which are screw threaded. Arms 14Y and 15 have holes in their lower ends and are threaded 0n the trunnions. and held in place by wing nuts 17, which also clamp the frame against rotation in the arms atwhatever angle the user desires to have it. The upper endsof these arms are `formed into sockets which are in shape, the segment of: a sphere, so

that they will fit upon a ball 9 and together with the ball form a ball joint. J ust below these sockets, when positioned for use, is a U "shaped clamping' bolt 19, which passes through holes in the arms. One arm of the U is longer than the yother and is'y threaded for the reception of a wing nut 20 bv means of which the arms may be clamped uponball 9 to hold theframe in any position desired by the user.

When it is desired to use my device separate from the bed I provide a hollow column 24 preferably a piece of pipe, into. which standard S is telescopically received. A set screw 21 holds the standard adjusted in the column. The column is provided with a base 22, which base has casters 23 so as to be easily moved from place to place. x

In the use of my device, the user will adust the standard at such height as will ring the panel at the desired elevation above his head when reclining u-pon 'the bed or couch. The panel will be adjusted by means of the wing nuts' on the trunnions and the ball joint to bring the panel in a plane at right angles to the vision of the user and at the right focusfrom his eyes. 'The book is then placed upon the panel with the page to be read thereon resting against the panel. If desired other supporting meansl for the boo-k to be read can be used insteadfof the glass panel, such as wires extending across B0 In witness that I claim the foregoing I 9.0

.have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of February, 191

1 p WILLIAM H. SMITH. Witnesses G. E. HARPHAM, C. M. AiisTIN. 

